NFL Player News

Murray (knee) was not activated for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

This should be zero surprise to fantasy managers given Murray was listed as doubtful on Friday's final injury report. That the electric signal caller was able to practice all week suggests the Cardinals are simply picking the best spot to activate Murray, with a matchup against a tough Ravens defense clearly seeming less than ideal to the organization. As a result, Joshua Dobbs is set to get what appears to be one final start before the inevitable return of Murray.

Jones (neck) could return this season and may even be available entering Week 9 against the Raiders, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

This seems to be a direct contradiction to Friday's report, which highlighted head coach Brian Daboll hardly squashing the premise that Jones could miss the entire season with a severe neck injury. It would seem unlikely the fifth-year quarterback would suddenly be healthy enough to play Week 9 after still not being cleared for contact, but it's still encouraging that the Giants seem to anticipate he'll play before the end of the year.

Purdy cleared the NFL's concussion protocol Saturday and has no injury designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Bengals, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Though Purdy was initially listed as questionable for the Week 8 contest following a full practice Friday, he had his designation removed after he was able to pass through the last of the five steps of the concussion protocol Saturday, when he was cleared by an independent neurologist. Since Purdy was also able to take part in non-contact portions of Thursday's practice, he should be well-versed in the 49ers' game plan for Week 8, despite having sat out Wednesday's practice session after entering the protocol following Monday's loss to the Vikings. Purdy may be operating without two key pieces on offense, however, as top wideout Deebo Samuel (shoulder) will miss a second straight game Sunday, and standout left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is listed as questionable and uncertain to play.

Purdy is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Cincinnati, though head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic the quarterback will clear the concussion protocol Saturday and start this weekend, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Purdy entered the protocol following Monday's loss to the Vikings, and due to the quicker turnaround than usual for the Week 8 game, he initially didn't appear to be on track to be available against the Bengals. However, Purdy has made rapid progress since being diagnosed with the brain injury, as he was cleared to return to practice Thursday as a limited participant after his concussion symptoms dissipated. He then took another step forward Friday, when he practiced as a full participant. In order to play Sunday, Purdy will still need clearance from an independent neurologist, something Shanahan expects to happen Saturday but can't actually be sure about. If Purdy isn't cleared, the 49ers will turn to Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback heading into Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Garoppolo (back) practiced fully Friday, Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee reports.

After not practicing at all last week and being inactive for the Raiders' loss to the Bears, Garoppolo returned to the field Thursday as a limited participant. A full practice Friday sets the stage for the quarterback to return to the starting role Monday against the Lions, making him a Week 8 lineup option for those in deeper formats or in leagues that start two quarterbacks. In the five games he's played this season, Garoppolo has posted a 7:8 TD:INT and 1,079 passing yards.

Dobbs is in line to start Sunday's game against Baltimore with the Cardinals listing Kyler Murray (knee) as doubtful for Week 8, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Dobbs could be making his last start of the season Sunday, considering Murray was a full practice participant throughout the week and no longer is listed with a knee injury on Arizona's official injury report. The task won't be easy, with Baltimore leading or tied for the league lead in a slew of defensive stats, including net yards allowed per pass attempt (4.1), touchdown passes allowed (four) and points against (97).

Murray (knee) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against Baltimore, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

The Cardinals are no longer listing Murray with a knee injury but nonetheless consider him unlikely to be activated from the PUP list ahead of Sunday's game. The team's decision to give Murray the doubtful designation presumably means that the 2019 No. 1 overall pick needs another week or two to prepare for his 2023 debut, thus giving Joshua Dobbs another shot to start at quarterback for a struggling offense. Murray was a full participant in practice throughout the week, working with the scout team during the media-access portions of practices.

Hill (chest) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Indianapolis.

Hill has been practicing in a non-contact jersey this week, while fellow tight end Juwan Johnson upgraded to full participation Friday and will return from a four-game absence this Sunday. The past two weeks featured the two largest target counts of Hill's career -- seven and five -- but he's unlikely to match those numbers with Johnson back in the fold. If he does indeed play, Hill likely will return to a hybrid role on offense that typically entails a few carries and perhaps a target or two.

Purdy is practicing Friday and appears to be on pace to clear the NFL's concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's game against the Bengals, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Purdy initially appeared in doubt to be available Week 8 after entering the protocol following Monday's loss to the Vikings, but the second-year quarterback has seemingly progressed more quickly than anticipated. After sitting out Wednesday's walk-through session while Sam Darnold took all the first-team reps, Purdy returned to practice Thursday as a limited participant. It's unclear whether Purdy was cleared for contract and thus able to take part in a full practice Friday, but head coach Kyle Shanahan should shed light on the matter when he addresses the media later in the day. Whether he was cleared for contact Friday or not, Purdy will still need an independent neurologist to give him the green light to play before he's removed from the protocol. With that in mind, Purdy still seems likely to head into Sunday with a questionable designation, even though he's seemingly trending toward getting cleared.

Lawrence (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers.

Lawrence was a limited participant at practice all week while he continues to manage the left knee sprain that he played through in the Jaguars' Week 7 win over the Saints. So far, no reports have suggested that Lawrence's status for this weekend's contest is any danger, but the quarterback won't be officially cleared to play until Jacksonville releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.